Chat with us, powered by LiveChat
Image
Image
Image

Listen Now • Season One, Episode Four

Featuring Bishop Henry Hearns, Prof. Eric Glaudé, Doc Bongo, and Lachi Zoutay in a powerful intergenerational conversation on military service, sacrifice, healing, family, leadership, and purpose after the uniform.

Opportunity Awaits — Lead the Way

Service Before Self: Lessons from Veterans Across Generations

Honoring Sacrifice • Military Service • Healing • Purpose After the Uniform

In Season One, Episode Four of Opportunity Awaits — Lead the Way, Dr. James C. Rodríguez, MSW leads a special broadcast podcast rooted in the framework of Service Before Self. This episode brings together veteran voices across generations to reflect on service, sacrifice, injury, trauma, healing, identity, leadership, and the purpose that continues after the uniform is placed aside.

This conversation features three tremendous elder African-American leaders, joined by a younger African-American veteran voice, whose collective experiences touch the Korean War era, the Vietnam War era, post-Vietnam service, Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the continuing journey of veterans who return home carrying both visible and invisible wounds.

This episode is not only for veterans.
It is for anyone working with families, fathers, mothers, children, caregivers, communities, social workers, educators, faith leaders, and people who continue serving others while carrying pain of their own.

Inside this raw and honest conversation are powerful lessons: service does not end when the uniform comes off; some people hide pain better than they heal pain; and you can do anything when you refuse to quit, ask for help, mentor others, and find another way forward.

Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Share this episode with someone who serves others, works with families, supports veterans, or needs to remember that purpose can still rise after pain.

Four Veterans • Four Generations • One Call to Serve

Meet the Voices of Service Before Self

This special broadcast gathers four veteran voices whose stories carry history, courage, faith, pain, healing, family legacy, cultural identity, and the responsibility to keep serving. Their reflections move beyond military service alone and speak directly to anyone working to strengthen families, mentor young people, support healing, and build healthier communities.

Korean War Era Veteran

Bishop Henry Hearns

A 93-year-old veteran, former mayor, faith leader, public servant, and Chairperson of the Fathers and Families Coalition of America. Bishop Hearns brings a lifetime of wisdom rooted in service, perseverance, dignity, and the belief that when one path is blocked, we must find another way.

Learn More

Vietnam War Veteran

Prof. Eric Glaudé, LCSW-R

An 82-year-old veteran, airborne officer, clinical social worker, professor, and lifelong advocate for veterans. Prof. Glaudé reflects on the blessing and burden of service, the importance of welcoming veterans home, and the urgent need to care for those carrying distress.

Learn More

Post-Vietnam War Veteran

Doc Bongo

A veteran, cultural advocate, healer, storyteller, and community servant whose life journey speaks to citizenship, identity, service, injury, and mentoring. Doc Bongo reminds us that older generations have a responsibility to seek out and support young people before crisis arrives.

Learn More

Afghanistan / Iraq Era Veteran

Lachi Zoutay

A 31-year-old Army veteran representing a new generation shaped by post-9/11 service, military family legacy, transition, and identity. Lachi reminds listeners that service also includes asking for help, checking on others, and asking the deeper question: Are you really okay?

Learn More

Move the Needle • Honor the Sacrifice • Lead the Way

Three Lessons from Service Before Self

This episode is filled with raw truth, wisdom, and practical insight. It reminds listeners that service is not only something done in uniform. Service is carried by parents, fathers, mothers, teachers, social workers, pastors, caregivers, clinicians, community leaders, and anyone who gives of themselves so others can heal, grow, and live with dignity.

Move the Needle Moment One

Service Does Not End When the Uniform Comes Off.

Each guest reminds us that service can continue for a lifetime. Through ministry, clinical social work, mentoring, public service, cultural advocacy, healing work, family leadership, and community engagement, service before self becomes more than a military value. It becomes a way of living.

Move the Needle Moment Two

Some People Hide Pain Better Than They Heal Pain.

The conversation speaks honestly about injury, PTSD, survival guilt, vicarious trauma, suicide prevention, and the emotional weight many veterans and caregivers carry in silence. Healing begins when we stop pretending everything is fine and begin asking: Are you okay? Are you really okay?

Move the Needle Moment Three

Do Not Quit. Find Another Way.

One of the timeless lessons in this episode is that obstacles do not have to become endings. When one path is blocked, find another path. This message is for veterans, families, young adults, leaders, and anyone who needs to remember that purpose can still rise after pain.

At the End of Our Duty Day, Will Someone Say We Loved Well?

This episode closes with a reflection on Taps, the final watch, the folded flag, the sacredness of service, and the deeper question of legacy. Did we love well? Did we sacrifice for something greater than ourselves? Did we leave this world better than we found it?

Complete, Not Compete. Honor the Sacrifice. Serve Before Self. Lead the Way.

Share this episode with a veteran, father, mother, caregiver, clinician, social worker, educator, faith leader, mentor, or young adult who needs to remember that healing, dignity, wisdom, love, and purpose still matter.

Follow the Conversation

Continue the movement by sharing this episode and connecting with the themes of service, family, healing, leadership, purpose, and community impact.

#OpportunityAwaits #OpportunityAwaitsLeadTheWay #ServiceBeforeSelf #LessonsFromVeterans #VeteransAcrossGenerations #HonoringSacrifice #MilitaryServiceAndHealing #VeteransVoices #VeteranLeadership #AfricanAmericanVeterans #BlackVeterans #KoreanWarVeteran #VietnamVeteran #DesertStormVeteran #OperationIraqiFreedom #AfghanistanVeteran #Post911Veterans #MilitaryFamilies #PurposeAfterService #TraumaHealing #HealingAfterService #PostTraumaticGrowth #VeteransMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #FathersAndFamilies #FathersAndFamiliesCoalition #FFCA #HOPE2027 #HOPETalks #CompleteNotCompete #PurposeWithin #PurposeWithinRiseOutoftheAshesLikeThePhoenix #AuthorsOfImpact #LeadTheWay